{"id":136317,"date":"2024-12-12T21:14:51","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T14:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=136317"},"modified":"2024-12-12T21:14:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T14:14:51","slug":"flu-cases-rising-among-kids-as-flu-vaccine-rates-hit-a-decade-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=136317","title":{"rendered":"Flu cases rising among kids as flu vaccine rates hit a decade-low"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"\">Even though a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/flu-symptoms-kids-doctors-describe-high-fevers-dehydration-rcna134681\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">record number of kids<\/a> died from the flu last year, the percentage of children getting flu shots continues to plummet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/fluvaxview\/dashboard\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> reported Wednesday that as of Nov. 30, just over a third of U.S. kids \u2014 37% \u2014 had gotten flu shots, down from 43% at the same time last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The downward trend worries pediatricians who are starting to see an uptick in flu cases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI always have a little bit of dread when flu season is around the corner,\u201d said Dr. Kristina Bryant, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Norton Children\u2019s in Louisville, Kentucky, \u201cbecause children experience illness and suffering during flu season, and much of that can be prevented through vaccination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Just over half of kids, 55%, got the flu shot during the 2023-24 season, the lowest rate in 12 years, said Alicia Budd, head of the CDC\u2019s domestic influenza surveillance team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cFlu coverage had been slowly increasing\u201d before Covid hit, Budd said. \u201cFlu vaccination levels have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">This year\u2019s flu shot covers the two main strains of the virus circulating so far, H1N1 and H3N2. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Budd said any strain of the flu can be dangerous for kids. \u201cWe are not seeing anything yet that would indicate that this season would be any different,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/73\/wr\/mm7339a1.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">preliminary report <\/a>released in October suggested the flu shots\u2019 effectiveness at keeping kids ages 5 and younger out of the hospital  may be on the lower end, at just 39%. Last year\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/73\/wr\/mm7308a3.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shot was estimated<\/a> to be up to 61% effective at preventing hospitalization in kids.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Dr. Michelle Taylor, a pediatrician who is the health officer of the Shelby County Health Department in Memphis, Tennessee, said the flu vaccine is safe and worthwhile, even if it\u2019s not perfect. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cEven if you\u2019re exposed and you are positive for flu, that shot gives the best chance of having a much easier course of illness than if you had not been vaccinated at all,\u201d Taylor said. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\"><strong>\u2018The worst I\u2019ve ever felt\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Kaitlyn Covert, a freshman at the University of Florida, hadn\u2019t made time to get her flu shot before she got sick in October. Hurricane Milton was churning off the Florida coast, and Covert and her friends were planning parties because classes were canceled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">That was until a throbbing headache set in, said Covert, 18. She was too weak to reach for an ibuprofen on her bedside table. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cBreathing hurt. Coughing hurt,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was the worst I\u2019ve ever felt in my entire life.\u201d A trip to the campus urgent care center confirmed she had the flu.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__yAWZ0 styles_medium__OMa6x\"><picture class=\"styles_image__1qciH\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241115-Kaitlyn-Covert-ew-220p-1d1db8.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241115-Kaitlyn-Covert-ew-220p-1d1db8.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241115-Kaitlyn-Covert-ew-220p-1d1db8.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241115-Kaitlyn-Covert-ew-220p-1d1db8.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241115-Kaitlyn-Covert-ew-220p-1d1db8.jpg\" alt=\"UF freshman Kaitlyn Covert, 18.\" height=\"1874\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__Pe5JC\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">University of Florida freshman Kaitlyn Covert said the flu was the worst she has felt in her entire life.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Courtesy Kaitlyn Covert<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\">Covert ultimately recovered, but worry among her family members had set in. Two decades earlier, Kaitlyn\u2019s 4-year-old cousin had died from the flu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI was in panic mode,\u201d said her mother, Amy. \u201cDoes lightning strike twice?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/fluview\/surveillance\/2024-week-45.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Flu season<\/a> was particularly deadly for kids last year, when 205 children died \u2014 a record number since before the pandemic. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">But the true tally of flu deaths among kids could be much higher, because not all children who die are tested for flu. The CDC estimated in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/whats-new\/flu-summary-addendum-2023-2024.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nov. 22 post <\/a>on its website that 724 pediatric flu deaths might have occurred last year. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Fewer flu shots and an unusually long flu season are two likely factors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cSome seasons, we see a really sharp peak and then it goes away quickly. Other seasons are more long and drawn-out,\u201d Budd said. \u201cLast year was more drawn-out, so unfortunately, there was more opportunity for children to get infected.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">Who needs the flu shot this year?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">The CDC recommends an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months and older.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">For most, that\u2019s a single shot. Kids who\u2019ve had only one shot may need two, four weeks apart, to be considered fully vaccinated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe know that more than 80% of the reported influenza-associated pediatric deaths last season occurred in children who were eligible for a flu vaccine but weren\u2019t fully vaccinated,\u201d Budd said. \u201cIt\u2019s another reminder of how important vaccination is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The Coverts strongly encourage flu shots, given their family history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"endmark\">\u201cThis is not a gray area,\u201d Amy Covert said. \u201cThe purpose of the shot is to keep you alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/flu-cases-rising-kids-vaccine-rates-low-cdc-rcna177336\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even though a record number of kids died from the flu last year, the percentage of children getting flu shots continues to plummet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=136317\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136317\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}